Bill Gallus presents Spring 2026 Dean’s Distinguished Lecture

Bill Gallus, Distinguished Professor in the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate, was selected by Dean Benjamin Withers to deliver the Spring 2026 LAS Dean’s Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, March 24, at 6 p.m. The lecture, “Iowa’s Surprising 2020 Derecho: What Have Meteorologists Learned?” will be presented in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union and will also be available virtually.

Gallus’ lecture will look back at the record-breaking derecho that traveled across Iowa on Aug.10, 2020 – currently the costliest thunderstorm event in United States history. He will discuss why weather forecasts for the event were poor, and reveal what research is being developed to help meteorologists’ improve future forecasts of extreme weather events.

Besides its 12 billion dollar price tag, the August derecho’s intense wind speeds and long duration made this storm unlike any other. Gallus will share state-of-the-art numerical model simulations that explain why the intensity and longevity of the winds were so unusual. He will also present additional modeling research that shows how climate change might impact derechos in the future.

In his research, Gallus uses multiple different weather prediction models to improve understanding and prediction of high-impact weather phenomena, especially thunderstorm systems with flood-producing rain, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Recently, he has begun to use artificial intelligence to improve the forecasts that come from traditional numerical models.

With the assistance of multi-disciplinary collaborations, Gallus is also studying how utility companies could be impacted by thunderstorm hazards and other weather events caused by climate change. His research aims to improve public safety, reduce the costs of weather disasters, and prepare communities for future high-impact weather events due to a changing climate.

Gallus has served as chief-editor of Weather and Forecasting, received the National Weather Association Theodore Fujita Award for research and innovation, and has served as chair of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Review Panel for Geosciences.
A live Q&A session with Gallus will follow the lecture.

This event is free and open to the public.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series highlights faculty excellence in learning, discovery, and engagement in Iowa State’s most academically diverse college. Each spring and fall semester, the dean invites LAS faculty of distinction to present lectures from their areas of expertise on topics of interest to the general public. The lectures are designed to stimulate high-quality, intellectual discussion among faculty, staff, students, and community members.